Claiming Dignity: Reproductive Rights and The Law

Post Date: Monday, August 22, 2016

 

Claiming Dignity: Reproductive Rights and The Law

   The term “reproductive rights” is nowhere found in the Indian legal texts. However, the concept of  reproductive rights of women is not lost in India. The Constitution, the Legislature and the Judiciary have conferred such rights on women in various forms. However, there has been failure on many accounts in making these rights a reality for a large section of women and the lacunae in the law and its implementation are a cause of concern that has garnered attention.

The book ‘Claiming Dignity’ is an attempt by the Human Rights Law Network to bring the various aspects of law affecting the rights and guarantees to women in the Indian legal system. It attempts to not just define and describe what meaning is entailed by this term, but also provide a detailed look at the laws and programmes that govern these delicate areas like the Indian Penal Code, the Maternity Benefits Act, the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act, etc. The book intends to bring under a single heading the Indian cases relating to reproductive rights so

that there is a reality check on the judicial understanding of these concepts. The book, along with a brief analysis of the judicial decisions, also reproduces the text of the significant cases for the better understanding of the idea forwarded by the Courts.